Shoe shaper



July 4, 1950 E. E. SHURTZ 2,513,372

snoz: SHAPER I Filed Sept. 16, 1946 IN VENTO/P EARL E. SHURTZ By H15 ATTORNEYS H4 R015, Mac/ F05 TER HARE/5 Patented July 4, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE SHAPER Earl E. Shurtz, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application September 16, 1946, Serial No. 697,175

3 Claims. 1 This invention relates to shoe trees and like devices for keeping shoes in proper shape.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a shoe-shaping device which is positioned exteriorly of the shoe and operates directly upon the sole of the toe thereof and also operates on the heel, whereby to straighten the sole and thereby draw the shoe into shape.

I have discovered that the most satisfactory manner of drawing shoes into shape between service intervals is to flatten the soles by di rect application of pressure thereto from outside the shoe, and I have also discovered that this function may be readily accomplished by means usable for either right or left shoes and capable of being adjusted to shoes of various sizes and various shapes of toe.

It is, therefore, also an object to provide a shoe-shaper adapted for use indiscriminately upon both right and left shoes and upon shoes of various sizes and shapes.

An incidental object is to provide a shoe shaper which is especially adapted to the drying and shaping of shoes which have become wet. This is best facilitated by an externally applied shaper, such as one whereby constant pressure is applied by cantilever action to both heel and toe.

A further object is to provide a shoe-shaper which serves to produce a desired shape approximating the original shape of the shoe and avoids all tendency to bulge the shoe upper and vamp into abnormal shapes as is commonly done by many styles of shoe trees employed by insertion into shoes.

In one form of the present invention, a plate to underlie and receive the forward portion of the shoe sole is provided with forward clamps adjustable to engage the forward extremity of the sole and exert a constant straightening pressure thereon. At the rear of the plate a heel clamp is used which extends upward and is adapted to be swung over the rear of the shoe and pressed into holding position against the inside heel portion of the sole where by to apply constant straightening pressure downward on the shoe heel against the rear end of the plate. Preferably the clamps are spring controlled and the plate is longitudinally adjustable to accommodate shoes of several sizes and lengths.

Other objects and features of construction will become apparent to those skilled in this art upon reference to the following specification and accompanying drawing wherein one illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section showing a sh0e-shaper of this invention in operative position;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, the shoe not being indicated;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view showing one form of heel clamp folded in operative position;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation taken from the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary enlargements showin the heel clamp construction; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevational View showing a modified form of heel clamp.

The form of the invention illustrated in the drawings comprises a main plate Ill provided, if desired, with integral up-struck spacing elements II to engage the under surface of the sole of a shoe as indicated, the plate l0 being also provided with a downwardly directed integral flange 12. An extension of the main plate IB' is provided in the form of a heel plate l4 having a peripheral flange IS, the separate heel plate I 4 being used for the purpose of adjustment of the length of the shoe shaper. The forward portions of the flange l5 are parallel and are disposed in contact with corresponding parallel portions of the flange l2, whereby to guide the adjusting movements of the two plates. Adjustment is accomplished by means of a longitudinal slot [6 in which slides an adjustment set bolt li whose head 18 rides on the heel plate portions at the edges of the slot. The

lower end of the bolt l7 passes through an aperture in the rear end of the main plate I0 and receives a washer I9 and a thumb nut 20 adapted to be loosened to permit adjustment and to be tightened to maintain adjustment.

Underlying approximately the forward half of the median portion of the main plate H], which constitutes a sole-engaging plate or sole-plate, is a rather broad leaf spring 25 whose rear end is secured to the main plate I0 by bolts 26 spaced as indicated to fix such rear end for insuring spring action and preventing lateral shift at its forward end. Also underlying the forward half of the main plate l0, and secured by the bolts 26, is a spring plate 26 which possesses sufficient resilience to reinforce the leaf spring 25. Attachment of the spring plate 28 is made through a folded extension 28a by way of a connecting bight 29. This plate 28 and the forward portion of the 5051112, vertical plane.

main plate ill, have generally the shape of the forward portion of the shoe sole, except that they are symmetrical and adapted to receive either a right or a left shoe. The plate 28 has dimensions slightly less than the corresponding dimensions of the plate Ill so that it fits neatly within the peripheral flange 12, but without contact therewith whereby the leaf spring 25 is enclosed within the flange l2 and between the plates l and 28.

The forward end of the leaf spring carries two U-shaped sole engaging clips mounted by means of pivots 32, such as rivets, so that the upper arm of each clip may engage over an adjacent edge portion of the toe of the shoe-sole, thereby to clamp the latter upon the .main plate I0. The bights of the clips 3i move vertically in a slot 33 in the plate it) adjacentthe mostforward portion of the flange l 2, and swing horizontally in such slot 33 about the pivots 32 whereby to accommodate any-shape of shoe toe. The pivots '32 also pass through the forward end of the spring plate 28 so that the leaf spring 25 and the plate 23 both act upon thezclipsflll to exert downward straightening pressure on the toe of the sole and bind the sole against the plate Ill. The limited amount of slippage of the spring 25 on the plate 23 required duringvertical movements of the clips 3!! is provided'by alimited play of the rivets 32 in the corresponding holes in theplate 28 or the spring 25, preferably in the atone side of the slot 83 and limit return movementof the leaf spring 25 andthe spring plate 28.

The heel portion of the shoe is retained in longitudinal 'adjustmenton the heel plate -i4,:in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 6, by means of heel stops "-40 upturned as ears at the ends of a bracket plate 42 secured to the heel plate'as by meansof' rivets 43. Also, the .heel portion of the shoe is held in position against the heel plate M by means of a :clamp generally, indicated at 44 and movably mounted upon a rearward extension 42a of the bracket plate 42. The clamp 44 comprises a curvedclamping arm 45 having at one end a presser finger 46 adapted to bear downward upon the inner heel surface of the shoe as seen in Fig. 1. The, other end of the arm 55 is positioned and mounted by a pivot pin 48 between two ears 49 carried at the head of an upstanding'tubular vpost 50 containing acoil tension spring 52. The post 50 is swiveled at its lower end in a collar 54 pivotedby a transverse pivot shaft 55 between two ears SBintegral with and upstanding from the bracket plate extension 42a. The collar '54 is mounted on the pivot shaft 55 through the medium of two ears 5l which the collarcarries, the shaft 55 extending through all of the ears 56 and Eleand providingmeans about which to swing the. post An annular flange 50am: the lower end of the post 50 engages the lower edge-of the collar 54 to provide a swivel bearing which is held in operative position by means of the; spring 52 whose lower end is attached to the tlowen endiof. the .post 50 by a retainingcross-pi-n lower-end-oftlrepresser link '84 against the'rearplate I4.

58 over which the spring is hooked. The swivel mounting and the pivotal mounting on the shaft 55 thus provide a compound joint permitting all required movement of the post 59' both horizontally and vertically.

The upper end of the spring 52 is secured to the lower end of a link 69 normally disposed in an upper flared portion 62 of the tubular post 50. The upper end of the link fill is carried on a pivot pin 64 eccentrically located forward with the respect to the pivot pin 48 on a generally circular extension 45a of the clamping arm 35. By this mounting, the spring 52 both places the arm 45 under clamping tension and yields for upward swing of the arm 45 to clear the top of the shoe at the heel.

The functioning of the shoe shaper herein disclosed is, in general, outlined by the foregoing description. The adjustment for length of a given shoe is made through the thumb nut 20 and adjustmentbolt 17. When a shoe is being placed,

plate Hlunder tension of the leaf spring 25 and the spring plate 23; The shoe heel is then depressed so that the'heel'willfall between theheel stops 40 as illustrated in Fig. 1. While sopositioning the shoe, the clamping device 44 will have been turned to one side to a position such as indicated in dotted lines at the right of Fig. 2. The'clamping arm lfi'will then be elevated'by rotation about the pivot #38 to a position such as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1. The next step is to 'swing the clamping arm 45 over theheel portion'of the shoe approximately as indicatedin full lines at the rightof Fig. 2, and then-swing it down into the fullline position of Fig. 1' where itrpressesagai-nst the inner surface of the heel portion of the shoe whereby to force the presser finger 46 down to insure engagement of the shoe heel with the uppermost elements on the heel Such clamping relationship is maintainedby the-tension'of the'coil spring 52, this spring. also compensating for varying thicknesses of heels andinner heel elements. A shoe is removed from the shaper by reversal of the operations just described. When the shaper is idle, the clamp 44 is swung down into the position illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 where-it lies upon the heel plate M. This movement is effected by movement ab'out the pivot shaft 55 and by-rotation of thepost 50 in the swivel joint provided by the collar 54. 1

' In'Fig. 7, a modified form of heel clamp is shown which is simpler in construction than'that offlFi'gs. 1 to 6. It consists of a right angled bracket l5, the'lower leg of which is secured' to the heel plate [4 by a swiveling rivet 16; The

upper end of the bracket carries a pivoting rivet 1'8 securing thereupon a vertically swinging leaf spring '80 which acts as clamping means. Normally, the springs!) assumes the upstanding position shown, so that its upper portion a, which-isin the'fOrm of a crook, overhangs the 1 heel plate l4 .and the heel of any shoe thereon.

The swinging extremity of the crookafla carries an eye 82 receiving the upper end of a presser link 84 which may be inthe form of a closed loop, or, otherwise as desired, and will perform the function performed by the presser finger-A6 of the other form of wheel clamp. In the position indicated, the spring 80 is under stress the crooktfla being forced upward from its otherwise idle position and thereby acting to "bindthe most portion of the inner heel face to hold the shoe heel down against the heel plate I4. The lower extremity of the spring 80 lies sufficiently below the pivoting rivet 18 to provide the necessary leverage for maintaining the operative position of the spring 80.

In using the heel clamp of Fig. 7, the spring 80 and its crook 80a may be rotated about the swiveling rivet 16 when the presser link 84 is swung up, whereby to clear the shoe top. This clamp may be folded in a storage position, similar to that shown in Fig. 3, by swinging the spring 80 and the link 84 about the pivoting rivet 18 into a horizontal position and turning the whole clamp unit upon the swiveling rivet 16.

From the foregoing description it is evident that the sole of the shoe is drawn by external pressure, applied at heel and toe, into its original substantially flat condition against the main plate ID. The drying of wet shoes is facilitated by the spacing provided by the integral spacing elements ll rising from the upper face of the main plate Hi. When the shoe sole is thus drawn into proper position, the shoe upper is automatically drawn into the desired shape without the formation of bulges and wrinkles.

It is intended that the following claims shall cover all such modifications of the generic invention herein disclosed as may fall within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. A shoe shaper comprising in combination: an elongated substantially flat plate adapted to receive a, shoe sole and heel thereupon, and providing a toe portion at one end and a heel portion at the other end; means at said toe portion to engage and to retain a, toe portion of a shoe sole against said toe portion of said plate, the toe engaging means comprising a, plurality of elements relatively movable to accommodate toes of various shapes; spring means connecting said toe engaging elements to said plate and resiliently urging them toward said plate; and means on said heel portion to overhang the heel of a shoe and engage the inner heel surface of the shoe to press the shoe heel against said heel portion of the plate.

2. A combination as in claim 1 wherein said means to overhang the shoe heel is provided with pressure means to effect pressing of the shoe heel against said heel portion of the plate.

3. A combination as in claim 1 wherein said plate has flange means on its under side enclosing said spring means.

EARL E. SHU-RTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 978,286 Green Dec. 13, 1910 1,106,465 Loomis Aug. 11, 1914 1,943,657 Drury Jan. 16, 1934 2,265,724 Edmonson Dec. 9, 1941 2,340,463 Gano Feb. 1, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 911 Great Britain of 1903 

